OOTS #1271 - The Discussion Thread

[Doctor West]

I am impressed the thread is already derailing on page 3 and surprised it's to Lord of the Rings instead of Star Wars.

[Peelee]

I am impressed the thread is already derailing on page 3 and surprised it's to Lord of the Rings instead of Star Wars.

I see you are unfamiliar with the Jedi Council of Elrond.

[littlebum2002]

This whole "let's eat lunch" thing feels like it would have been covered by a "we can just say we ate and we'll be fine" or "just mark off a ration and you're done eating" type of joke back in the early days of the strip.


Powers &8^]

They don't even have rules for eating!

And secondly it feels like the whole story has completely stalled.

*Laughs in Don't Split the Party*

[Fyraltari]

I see you are unfamiliar with the Jedi Council of Elrond.

I hate everyone of you.

[Metastachydium]

They don't even have rules for eating!

[Elegiacally missing the point.] Actually, they do, albeit none too harsh ones.

More importantly, however: is that a little lizard on your avatar? Was the little lizard always there howcomeididn'tnoticethatbeforeit'ssocute?

[brian 333]

I see you are unfamiliar with the Jedi Council of Elrond.

Was that the part where Samuel Jackson offered Frodo a choice between the red pill and the blue pill?

[Blue Dragon]

So Belkar is a specicist! Also, the comic is dragging. I'd rather know about the other rifts.

[pendell]

I am impressed the thread is already derailing on page 3 and surprised it's to Lord of the Rings instead of Star Wars.

It's because we've run out of things to say about the strip proper. Nothing much happened in this strip except a small collection of jokes and Roy stepping out the door, doubtless to have a conversation with someone or something though he doesn't know it yet.

Threads tend to diverge into alignment discussions about 2 or three pages in and remain heated for weeks. But I don't see any fodder for alignment arguments in this strip. We don't have any new fuel for arguments about what the MiTD is, and no one cares what gender Vaarsuvius is. So we argue about other trivia.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[bunsen_h]

So Belkar is a specicist!

Not directly, I think. He'd probably be happy to prepare gourmet food for anyone who'd appreciate it, but that's a characteristic that's more common among some species than among others.

Do various character races automatically have built-in dislikes of various other races, as they did back in the day? Durkon hates orcs and goblinoids, and gets bonuses when fighting them... is that a default thing for dwarves in general?

[Metastachydium]

Do various character races automatically have built-in dislikes of various other races, as they did back in the day? Durkon hates orcs and goblinoids, and gets bonuses when fighting them... is that a default thing for dwarves in general?

Yes, it is a racial trait that they have. Gnomes have one like that as well, and (my personal favourite) that of the darfellans from Stormwrack is literally called Racial Hatred.

[littlebum2002]

[Elegiacally missing the point.] Actually, they do, albeit none too harsh ones.

More importantly, however: is that a little lizard on your avatar? Was the little lizard always there howcomeididn'tnoticethatbeforeit'ssocute?

Yes! I requested an avatar *checks notes* EIGHT YEARS AGO just saying i wanted a wizard with a familiar casting a spell. I planned on it just being a temporary one until I got something more customized but I loved my little lizard so much I've kept it ever since.

Here's the original size:

Spoiler

Show

[KorvinStarmast]

I see you are unfamiliar with the Jedi Council of Elrond.

"One does not simply fly into a Meridian trench on a Death Star..."

[Metastachydium]

Yes! I requested an avatar *checks notes* EIGHT YEARS AGO just saying i wanted a wizard with a familiar casting a spell. I planned on it just being a temporary one until I got something more customized but I loved my little lizard so much I've kept it ever since.

Here's the original size:

Spoiler

Show

[IMG]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/20bbf01a-9c78-4e00-96e8-dd7d1fd50975/d6iwawo-b6b86b05-19f1-4cca-844a-942d0d153954.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJ IUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQz NzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZT BkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6 WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sIm9iaiI6W1 t7InBhdGgiOiIvZi8yMGJiZjAxYS05Yzc4LTRlMDAtOTZlOC1k ZDdkMWZkNTA5NzUvZDZpd2F3by1iNmI4NmIwNS0xOWYxLTRjY2 EtODQ0YS05NDJkMGQxNTM5NTQucG5nIn1dXX0.7VQDZQr7AmkH JYPa6TwX0tIlgzsW6dNgr0zemSRd8B8[IMG]

So cute! Thanks for the full-size version! (Also, I'm officially very confused now; how did I fail to notice the little guy for so long?!)

"One does not simply fly into a Meridian trench on a Death Star..."

"One does not simply fly onto Endor!"

[danielxcutter]

Because the avatar image is tiny and the lizard is even smoller?

[Peelee]

Big lizards are easier to notice. Especially silver ones.

[littlebum2002]

So cute! Thanks for the full-size version! (Also, I'm officially very confused now; how did I fail to notice the little guy for so long?!)

It would be unkind of me to speculate on your assorted shortcomings.

[Metastachydium]

Because the avatar image is tiny and the lizard is even smoller?

No, no, no, you're having it backwards! Small is bigger than Tiny!

Big lizards are easier to notice. Especially silver ones.

Says the one masquerading as a puny human!

It would be unkind of me to speculate on your assorted shortcomings.

Heh. Looks like that avatar fits better than you seemed to've thought back when!

[Peelee]

Says the one masquerading as a puny human!

Excuse me, I'm masquerading as an exceptional human.

[Resileaf]

Yes, it is a racial trait that they have. Gnomes have one like that as well, and (my personal favourite) that of the darfellans from Stormwrack is literally called Racial Hatred.

Back before people realized that hey, maybe weaponized racism isn't that good an idea.

Incidentally, rangers weaponize racism as a class feature.

[Metastachydium]

Excuse me, I'm masquerading as an exceptional human.

Why certainly! But what human being could claim to be exceptional when compared to the glory that is a dragon proudly displaying its true form?

Back before people realized that hey, maybe weaponized racism isn't that good an idea.

Incidentally, rangers weaponize racism as a class feature.

And they can even improve upon it by way of donning the Girdle of Hate^DraMag314 (a magic item the crafting of which requires little more than that you really hate a type of creature)!

[Fyraltari]

Why certainly! But what human being could claim to be exceptional when compared to the glory that is a dragon proudly displaying its true form?

Not that Lian-Chu would ever claim to be exceptional.

Back before people realized that hey, maybe weaponized racism isn't that good an idea.

Incidentally, rangers weaponize racism as a class feature.

And they can even improve upon it by way of donning the Girdle of Hate^DraMag314 (a magic item the crafting of which requires little more than that you really hate a type of creature)!

Can't be racist against Snow Elves if there aren't any Snow Elves left.
*taps head*

[F.Harr]

People do take a lot of work.

[LuPuWei]

Yikes, for a second there I thought that was Tarquin or Nale back from the dead in the second panel

[Riftwolf]

And they can even improve upon it by way of donning the Girdle of Hate^DraMag314 (a magic item the crafting of which requires little more than that you really hate a type of creature)!

I vaguely remember the Ranger's Favoured Enemy bonus was named Racial Hatred in Baldurs Gate. It makes more sense for a Hunter/Ranger to have 'heres how to hunt the monster' than every member of a PC race, even the non-military and the pacifists, being better at hitting anothers specific race.
It got a bit how-do-we-rp-this in pathfinder where a ranger spell could designate someone as one of your favoured enemies.

[Metastachydium]

I vaguely remember the Ranger's Favoured Enemy bonus was named Racial Hatred in Baldurs Gate. It makes more sense for a Hunter/Ranger to have 'heres how to hunt the monster' than every member of a PC race, even the non-military and the pacifists, being better at hitting anothers specific race.
It got a bit how-do-we-rp-this in pathfinder where a ranger spell could designate someone as one of your favoured enemies.

I mean, it would have been so easy to just fluff it as something like Knowledge Devotion or the Dragonlance Master Sage's Tactical Advantage: the result of training, insight, ultimately: understanding, but no. They had to drop all manners of hints indicating that "nah, you're hurting them with the power of your hatred".

[Riftwolf]

They had to drop all manners of hints indicating that "nah, you're hurting them with the power of your hatred".

Hey we diverged into Star Wars! My monthly bingo cards complete!

[Peelee]

Hey we diverged into Star Wars! My monthly bingo cards complete!

The hatred handy even led to fear yet. Or does it lead to uncertainty? I think hunger is in there somewhere? Anyway, the circle is not complete.

[Quizatzhaderac]

I vaguely remember the Ranger's Favoured Enemy bonus was named Racial Hatred in Baldurs Gate. It makes more sense for a Hunter/Ranger to have 'heres how to hunt the monster' than every member of a PC race, even the non-military and the pacifists, being better at hitting anothers specific race.
It got a bit how-do-we-rp-this in pathfinder where a ranger spell could designate someone as one of your favoured enemies.

...., Owlbear, Pegasus, don't see "pacifists" anywhere. Is that a type of water elemental? Or maybe an order of monks? Or an order of aquatic monks?

Although, I think in the case of nature loving Rangers specializing in killing something may not be out of hatred. Like, if you hate animal, you probably lack the perspective a good hunter should have. Like, sometimes a crocodile, or bear, or something needs to be killed, but it would seem really weird to me if a professional hunter was personally angry at the animal.

They may even have a certain special appreciation for the things they kill.

[Tzardok]

Also, according to the Player's Handbook, Favoured Enemy represents extensive study of and fighting techniques specialized against the chosen creatures, not raw hatred.

[Fyraltari]

Like, sometimes a crocodile, or bear, or something needs to be killed, but it would seem really weird to me if a professional hunter was personally angry at the animal.

"Call me Ishmael..."